Broken Brothers
by Jesus' girl 4ever
Summary: "You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!"


**Broken Brothers**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, really.

From my hiding place, I watched Padmé step out of the ship and run to Anakin. I was too far off to hear what they were saying, but she seemed to be in no danger. Although, it had begun to seem unlikely she would realize how far Anakin had fallen until it was too late. Their voices began to rise. "And together, you and I can rule the galaxy, make things the way we want them to be!" Anakin said.

Padmé replied, "I don't believe what I'm hearing. Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."

"I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me; don't you turn against me!" Anakin threatened.

"I don't know you anymore. Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow!"

"Because of Obi-Wan."

 _Does he think I'm in love with her or something?_

"Because of what you've done. What you plan to do! Stop! Stop now! Come back! I love you!" she begged.

Things began going downhill fast. I rose and stepped out of Padmé's ship.

Anakin saw me immediately. He turned on Padmé. "LIAR! You are with him! You brought him here to kill me!"

"No!" she shouted. Up until that point, she had still been unaware that I had tagged along.

At this point Anakin lost his senses and began to... _is he choking her with the Force?_ I had to intervene. "Let her go, Anakin!"

"Anakin," she gasped.

"Let her go," I repeated. He did and she collapsed to the ground.

"You turned her against me!" Anakin screamed.

"You have done that yourself," I responded.

"You will not take her from me!" he roared.

"Your anger and your lust for power have already done that. You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now...until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."

"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new empire."

"Your new empire?" Anakin, what has happened to you?

"Don't make me kill you," he growled.

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!" I cried. _Come back to me, brother._

"If you're not with me, then you're my enemy," he replied.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must," I said, pained.

"You will try."

I regretfully activated my lightsaber. Anakin drew his, leaped, and attacked me.

We fought. Lava completely surrounded us. We covered much ground, master and apprentice, through the control rooms and out into the industrial area. Were it not for the eerie glow cast by the lava, I could have fooled myself into believing that he and I were sparring, only practicing. Well, the glow and the deadly gleam in Anakin's eyes. We balanced on thin pipes, watching for the other's next move. I leaped onto another deck. Anakin followed. Someone's saber struck something it obviously was not supposed to, and lava began spewing everywhere. Both of us ducked behind pillars to avoid the fiery projectiles.

The deck we were standing on broke off from the rest of it and tumbled into the lava. We had each retained a grip on the sides of the platform, Anakin hanging slightly below me. He struck upward at me. I blocked his blow and continued to attempt to ascend. I glanced ahead to see the lava flowing down, looking like the beginnings of a waterfall. I reached over for a rope and gripped it, pushing myself away from the tower of metal in the sea of fire. Anakin followed suit, and our sabers met in midair. I dropped down onto a nearby platform, hovering above the lava. Rising, I turned to see the structure sink slowly over the edge of the lava-fall. I watched, half hoping Anakin had fallen with it, and half hoping he had not. Then, I saw him Force-jump onto a platform similar to mine, only smaller.

Now we fought on these floating platforms. As I saw the deadly gleam in his eye, I couldn't help but say, "I have failed you, Anakin. I have failed you."

"I should have known the Jedi were plotting to take over!" he shouted in reply.

"Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine is evil!" I argued, praying he would see the Light.

"From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!" he shot back.

"Well, then, you are lost!" I cried in anger and despair.

After a few moments, his chilling response came. "This is the end for you, my master. "

He jumped over me and landed on my platform, and our battle continued. Neither of us could gain an advantage over the other. Suddenly, I leaped off of the platform and onto the nearby hill of solid lava. "It's over, Anakin!" I called. "I have the high ground!"

"You underestimate my power!" he replied hatefully.

"Don't try it!" I begged. _Don't make me do this._

Despite my plea, he did indeed attempt to make the jump over me. He jumped, and I sliced. His legs and his flesh hand were separated from him. He fell to the rocks in agony.

I retracted my blade. "You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!" I lifted my fallen brother's lightsaber from where it lay, discarded.

"I hate you!" he roared from his position, sinking into the lava.

"You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!" I shouted back, tears clouding my eyes and voice as he caught on fire from the heat of the lava. _The merciful thing to do would be to kill him,_ my mind reminded me. Yet my heart stayed my hand. I could no more strike a killing blow to my brother than I could myself. _I'm so sorry, Anakin._ I looked away, and I walked away, grieved in my soul.


End file.
